


The shock of the lightning

by RaijinNoHana



Series: A tale of exile and return [2]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Angst, Exiled Laxus, Lightning Fetish, M/M, No Freed was harmed in the writing of this, Storm Chasing, he will fully recover I promise, more or less, well maybe he was but just a little
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-25
Updated: 2019-01-31
Packaged: 2019-10-15 18:25:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17533907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaijinNoHana/pseuds/RaijinNoHana
Summary: After the Battle of Fairy Tail, Laxus is exiled and Freed is left back at the guild trying to get his life together; when another team asks for his support on a mission, he does his best to help, but love has its own ways to conspire against unyielding hearts.<<Laxus!>> I roar. It is a pointless, pathetic try to outshout his merciless voice, and if any answer is given, it gets lost through wind and rain.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note that this is the second part of a series, and the whole story will make much more sense if you read the first part too :)
> 
> Enjoy your reading!

I had to go.  
  
Cana insisted that the mission was - her words - just "cut out for me", and after all it didn't seem the kind of mission one could simply refuse; not to mention the fact that the reward alone - a dozen ancient rune dictionaries from all over the continent - would have been tempting enough to give it a try.  
  
As our Master required, after the Battle of Fairy Tail I occasionally joined several teams on their missions; this time, however, things seems slightly different. Maybe it's because the pay appears too good for a task that simple, maybe it's because Cana's still a bit agressive towards me; most likely, it feels weird mainly because Mirajane allowed me to presume that she trusts me enough to rely on me during her first mission after a long, long time.  
  
In all fairness, I daresay all the members of the Guild – "mates", as Titania told me yesterday, slamming a heavy hand straight in the middle of my back – are trying their best to make me feel at ease, and things are slowly getting better. Juvia kindly accepted my apologies, and Elfman too, although he still quivers a bit when he comes across Evergreen in the guild hall. As for the new girl, Lucy, last friday she evoked a Celestial Spirit just to make sure that my hair would grow back to their usual length; and although I know that my atonement is still far from being over, her action was so kind I didn't have the heart to refuse.  
  
Moreover, I really missed my hair.  
  
Speaking of the guild, the biggest surprise to me is to see how people suddenly seem to care about me. It doesn't feel like family yet – how could it be, when one of us still isn't there? – but it is a nice sensation indeed. Even my magic never seemed so interesting: over the last three months, I spent more days at the library with Levy than out on a mission. I'm not sure wheter we're friends or not, but I find her company truly enjoyable and her interests remarkably close to mine; moreover, I think she's going to do great things with her magic.  
  
<<You really are, but you need to believe in yourself a bit more!>> I insisted yesterday after she got upset on a particularly complex spell. Thank God the main hall of the guild was noisy enough to cover my wounded pride as I bitterly added: <<It's not everyday that someone proves him- or herself able enough to disband the spells I have been thoroughly preparing for months.>>  
  
She laughed, cheeks reddening a little, lifting her shoulders with modesty. <<There wasn't much else I could do during the Battle, you know. Half the time I was petrified, and even after I turned to my normal self...>> she slightly pouted in discomfort, <<...well, as you can see, I'm tiny. I can't even defend myself properly.>>  
  
She flashed a glance to the table next to ours, where a silent Gajeel sat alone, crunching on a piece of cutlery found heavens know where.  
  
<<I see.>> I commented, taking a sip from my cup. <<If you can't rely on your body, then work hard to strengthen your mind.>>  
  
<<Precisely.>> she nodded in agreement; then, her face clouded a bit as she handed me a crumpled note, an apologetic look in her eyes. <<I'm afraid these are not the runes you're looking for. I don't know if these would work over a distance that big, but I thought that maybe you'd still want to give them a try.>>  
  
I blinked. <<Ah->> I blinked again, profoundly surprised by her behaviour. <<May I ask you why you are helping me after all I did to you and your friends?>>  
  
<<Who knows? Maybe I'm just doing my own research on how people can improve their behaviour.>> she teased me, lips curling at the corners.  
  
I chuckled, taking another sip. <<Still, this doesn't explain why you all seem so eager to forgive me.>>  
  
<<Forgiveness is a weird thing, you know.>> She looked away, a wistful look in her eyes. <<Maybe I just wonder how much a person can change.>>  
  
It took me a while before I realised she was still looking towards Kurogane.  
  
I was just about to thank her when Cana suddenly popped up, hands cupped around a tankard full of something which, needless to say, strongly smelled of alcohol. <<Wanna some?>> she shouted, liquid dangerously spilling over the upper border of the mug. As I kindly refused, she gave me a punch on my upper arm and added: <<Now, I have a business proposition you won't refuse at all.>>  
  
And this is how I ended up here, sword hanging by my side, walking through the woods with two women I nearly killed just a few months ago. Mirajane smiles, whistling a cheerful tune and only half listening while Cana babbles some of her nonsense about breasts and things. This should feel absurd, I tell myself, but in the end I must say it feels rather good.  
  
As we walk, following a wide path which twists and turns through the trees, a low grumble shakes the air above our heads, and Mirajane catches my sleeve to hold me back a little, letting Cana free to walk some steps away from us.  
  
<<I beg your pardon?>> I say, turning to Mirajane.   
  
Unexpected body contact always makes me feel uneasy, but she doesn't blink once, not even when nervously murmuring: <<Are your orders clear enough?>>  
  
<<If the darkness were to win upon you, you want me to take you down before you hurt anyone.>> I answer, thoroughly repeating her own words.  
  
<<Why do I feel like you won't do it?>> she asks again, her voice slightly trembling.  
  
I can't help myself but smile a little. <<Because, as you can see, a certain someone taught me the importance of a life spared on the battlefield.>> A cold drop of rain hits my head and my smile broadens as she chuckles lightly, a shadow of fear still lingering in her eyes. <<Nevertheless, I can tell you that: I will do everything's in my power to prevent any damage you could possibly do to her>> I point towards Cana, walking ahead us, <<or to other people.>>  
  
<<Freed...>>  
  
<<Moreover, let me insist upon that: I'm absolutely sure that nothing bad is going to happen.>> I try and reassure her. <<Your control is impressive indeed, Mira.>>  
  
<<I know some people who would beg to differ, you know. Even Laxus would have a story or two to tell.>> She properly smiles now, and the woods seems to light up a bit. <<You called me Mira. It's the first time you call me like that.>>   
  
The warmth I feel in my chest is a nice change as compared to the usual, chilling feeling of detachment. I slightly lift my shoulders, mirroring her smile. <<I know.>>  
  
<<Hey, you two!>> Cana shouts, turning back and quickly coming towards us. Small drops of rain begin to fall around us. <<What'cha talking about?>>  
  
<<Nothing important really.>> I find myself saying. Mira unconcernedly smiles to her, such a kind, warm smile she'd probably fool me too, weren't I so aware of her concerns.  
  
Cana, though, seems totally fine with my answer. She swings the bottle of whatever she's drinking in the air, the remains of her hangover smoothly flowing in a brand new booze. She passes her arm around Mira's neck, dragging her in a sloppy embrace. <<Tryna make me jealous, you vixen?>>  
  
They engage in a false fight, wrestling as they walk away under the light rain. The intimacy of their bodies is almost painful to watch, because I know too well that kind of confused entanglement of arms and legs - a false punch that develops into a hug-like mess, a firm slap on the back, and then blonde hair and unshaven cheeks scratching against my chin.  
  
<<Vixen?>> Mira displays a sheepish look on her face, pointing a long finger towards herself. <<Who, me?>>  
  
Her graceful laughter is infectious, and I find myself smiling a bit too, trying to ignore the drops falling on our heads. It is a mere matter of seconds before we are surrounded from the crashing sound of heavy rain, clothes and hair suddenly drenched in cold water.  
  
<<We should take refuge in a cave or something,>> Cana mutters, arms lifted and crossed above her head in a futile attempt to protect her hair from the pouring rain.  
  
<<It won't be necessary. We can camp out there.>> It takes me just a few seconds to write a number of runes on the ground, water magically disappearing as if an enormous umbrella were put upon us.  
  
The two women look at me in awe, and I have to restrain myself from blushing a tiny bit. <<You really can do that?>> Cana asks, no mocking in her tone.  
  
<<Those runes will keep the place dry and warm, but if you feel cold we can still light a small fire. I also put some extra protection from hailstones, wind...>> my eyes widen as a familiar, rumbling roar shakes the bowels of the earth under my feet, <<...and lightning.>>  



	2. Chapter 2

<<Well, well,>> Cana grins, helping Mira taking off her dripping shoes and soaking-wet stockings, <<who would have known that drawing a bunch of lines on the ground would have proved so useful?>>  
  
<<I can do better.>> I smirk back, trying to cast away the sudden state of agitation brought by the sound of thunder. I catch my sword, writing my rules as fast as I can, banishing every other thought as I learned when I still was in my teen years.  
  
<<Freed.>> Mira warns me. <<Please be careful, I don't want you to run out of magic before we even arrive in Lilium.>>  
  
I lift a brow. <<Those are risible spells I often use in my everyday life. I hardly feel their effect at all.>> My espression softens, sword cutting through air as I put the final line. <<Now, ladies: be quiet and pay attention.>>  
  
A square of runes glows through the grass, and Cana squints a bit in anticipation. <<What, genius, I can't read a thing.>>  
  
<< _Every_ _wet clothing which enters the area shall dry immediately._ >> I read out loud, swiftly taking off my coat and throwing it into the area. The drops of water get sucked into thin air, and when I take it back the coat is completely dry.  
  
<<Whoa!>> Cana shouts, and Mira steps into my spell with a tentative look in her eyes. A wave of surprise rises on her face as her dress dries up.  
  
<<It doesn't work for hair, though.>> I add, lifting my hands in a gesture of excuse. <<Spells crafted for inanimate beings can't be applied on living things, but I can write other runes if you want me to.>> I offer.  
  
Mira looks at me with thoughtful eyes, but in the end she shakes her head. <<I prefer you to save your energy, because we don't know how long this storm will last.>>  
  
<<As you wish.>> I could do it the same, as my energy is far from being spent, but this time I am not the captain. It is one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences when it's not up to me to give orders, and I don't want to argue with her about that. <<Let's settle for the night, then.>>  
  
  
~  
  
  
I can't sleep.

  
My usual self would be perfectly capable of keeping his emotions under strict control; it wasn't always like that, but when you are endowed with dark power coursing through your veins you must find a way to mantain a grip on yourself. Since the first time I felt the tempting voice of darkness speaking my name from the depths of the rumbling abyss, I forced myself on tough discipline and inflexible rigour, and it always worked fine.  
  
Well, of course there are forces beyond my control, and the damn smell of ozone is driving me mad.  
  
The thunderstorm is running right over the see-through ceiling of my spell, the flash of lightning clearly visible despite my shut eyes. "Lightning rips nitrogen and oxygen molecules to pieces, you know. I can't tell if a human nose is able to recognize this smell", he told me in what seems to be another life, "but my dragon slayer abilities ensure me to smell a storm before it even arrives. Useful thing when I need a snack."  
  
Damn, I think taking a long breath, I perfectly remember every detail of his boastful grin. A knot of melancholy ties in my stomach, and I toss and turn in my sleeping sack, unable to find some peace.  
  
<<You can't sleep.>> a voice murmurs behind my back, and it's not a question, just a mere statement of something obvious.  
  
I turn under the sheets to face a drowsy Mira, eyelids weighed with sleep, whispering back my apologies. <<I am sorry I bothered your sleep.>>  
  
She shakes her head, her hair now entirely dry and slightly curled above her temple. <<It is not your fault. I can't sleep either.>>  
  
<<Why is that so?>>  
  
<<I don't know.>> she shrugs. <<This weather makes me uncomfortable all the time. What about you?>>  
  
I gaze at the sky above us, shaking my head a bit. <<Dark stormy nights always made me feel at ease.>>  
  
<<I meant what about the reason you can't sleep.>> Her soft smile comes almost unexpected. <<I should have imagined, though, your opinion on storms.>>  
  
<<What do you mean?>> I find myself asking.  
  
<<Well, you're the captain of a certain _Thunder_ God Tribe, after all. It's no accident you chose that name, is it?>> She chuckles a bit. <<When we were younger, our Master was deeply concerned about your well-being because you always seemed to be so reckless when it came to follow Laxus. Honestly, you were the only one who has always proved able to approach him when he turned to his angry-god-of-thunder self. He was as scary as hell, but you didn't seem to care.>>  
  
<<You were close to him too.>> I point out in a conversational voice, a squint of pain in my chest.  
  
<<I was.>> she agrees. <<It was that pure, pristine kind of love you can only experience as a child. But then his father was banished, and his magic soon began to frighten me. In the space of a summer, our sweet child romance turned into a distant memory, leaving space just to crackling bolts and burning ashes.>>  
  
I remain silent, the answer lingering on the tip of my tongue for too much long.  
  
<<He spent a lot of time training in the woods, do you remember?>> she whispers. Of course I remember. <<I once went in the forest looking for him, but the only thing I found there after he left was the unsettling silence of death. What a terrible sight.>>  
  
I think of those long-forgotten afternoons spent with him in the woods, a couple of anti-electricity runes written on the palm of my hands and books in my bag, and I feel sorry for her.  
  
<<Our mild love turned into a fragile friendship, and our lives carried on without bothering us too much...this uneasiness about storms is the only thing which still lingers on. This, and the sorrow for his recent behaviour.>>  
  
<<I'm sorry.>> I whisper, avoiding her eyes. There are so many things to be sorry for, tonight, that I just can't say anything more to let her know how deeply touched I am in this moment. We remain silent for long minutes, the raging voice of the storm obsessively calling out my name from the sky.  
  
I crawl out of my sleeping sack, slowly standing back on my own two feet.  
  
<<Where->>  
  
<<I'm going for a walk.>> I mutter, eerily unable to speak more, wearing my boots and my jacket.  
  
<<I'll go with you.>> she suddenly answers, pushing back her blankets, as Cana talks softly in her sleep.  
  
I secure my sword at its place, sliding it in its sheath. <<There's no need to. Go back to sleep, Mira.>>  
  
<<But I don't want you to be alone.>> she whispers, voice so low it almost gets lost midway.  
  
I walk towards the woods, reaching the border of my own spell; before crossing the line, I turn back to face her, still sitting with her blankets pulled to her chest, a shade of sorrow on her beautiful face. For once after a long time, I allow myself to be sincere. <<Lying is pointless, Mira. Let's face the truth: alone is what I am.>>  
  
I turn my back, unable to bear more of my own misery reflected in those big eyes of hers, and I swiftly walk away.  
  
She calls out my name, careless with Cana and her sleep, but I won't listen anymore. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired, and this small chat exposed the plain, simple truth I've been avoiding for too long: Laxus is gone, and my heart is broken.  
  
I march through cold wind and heavy rain, too careless to put any protection rune upon me. If the storm breaks me down, I welcome it.  
  
Mirajane, though, doesn't seem to share the same opinion. I can hear her steps behind me, and I'd like to act as if I didn't notice, but somehow I cannot bear to think of her in the heart of the storm.  
  
Careful not to let her see the rules I'm writing, I quickly draw a trap on the ground.  
  
<<What are you doing?>> she asks, stepping in. A square of runes gleams around her feet, and she cries out in frustration. <<Freed, don't!>>  
  
<< _Those who enter this space won't be able to leave until the storm ends. This place shall provide a safe area to the people held in it._ >> I read out loud, darkness blooming in my right eye. <<I am sorry indeed, Mira, but I need to be alone for a while. You asked me to keep everybody safe from darkness, didn't you? That's what I'm doing, except danger is coming from me, not from you. I feel weak and out of control, and I have to protect my mates.>>  
  
My words are cut out by a loud bang, flashing light hurting my eyes. It is the first time a lightning strikes so near to me after he left, and it leaves a deep impression; a tree is struck open, exploding into flames, burning coals tossed in all directions.  
  
The roaring, garbled ball of lighning rapidly moves west, and I do the only thing I never failed to: I chase the thunder.  
  
<<Freed!>> Mira screams, desperately trying to catch my attention. <<It is too dangerous, you must come back now!>>  
  
She's right, I know she is; and even if the concern in her high-pitched voice is perfectly audible, still I can't force myself upon obeying her orders. I throw myself running through the woods, shifting through branches and trunks, stepping over knots of roots that stick out from the ground.  
  
Another bolt of lightning carves its way through the air, followed by a thunder which roars over my head, sudden and terrifying. The familiar bright smell I perceived a while ago hits me right between my eyes, and a raging wave of desire fills my heart.  
  
Why, why am I so slow? I release my dark power, and my speed suddenly enhances.  
  
Despite the cold, my whole body is on fire. Keep control, stay focused a little more...but how, _how_ _can I_ , when the whole world is coming down around me? This storm surely isn't the worst I've ever been through, but it's rough and wild and violent and it reminds me of things I shouldn't miss _that_ much.  
  
My feet are so swift I barely hit the ground, and suddenly I find myself in a plain swept by the strong wind, too far away to hear anything else than the music of the storm pounding into my ears. I'm dripping water, my hair is a mess and the cold is unbearable, but I feel more like myself than I have in months.  
  
It doesn't last long, though, for the winds are blowing the storm towards west. He's leaving me again, but I want more, it can't be over, please, I pledged, can't you hear me scream?  
  
<<Laxus!>> I roar. It is a pointless, pathetic try to outshout his merciless voice, and if any answer is given, it gets lost through wind and rain.  
  
I lift my sword, runes glowing in the air before sticking to my body, and wings come out of my back; I rush flying into the deep sky, please, please, _please_ let me fly until I get you, but then I'm only a little above the top of trees when light fills my sight.  
  
The heartbeat is so rushed that it feels as if it isn't beating anymore, flesh burning to the bone. There's a loud whistle in my ears, and in the end I find peace in the shock of the lightning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ended up longer than I expected, so I decided to split it in three parts instead of two.  
> The final chapter will be published in a few days, I promise! 
> 
> (Needless to say that any comment would be appreciated!)


	3. Chapter 3

I'm falling.  
  
I don't remember when it began, but my body is flying down in a hole, a roaring sound bursting around my head.  
  
Oh, look at that...every inch of my limbs is shaken by a funny tingling, and unintentional laughter comes out of my mouth. This well-known sensation recalls the kind of tickle Laxus used to taunt me with when we barely knew each other. I'd like to scratch my back, but it looks like I can't find my hands...  
  
Right, Laxus. Such a quarrelsome brat, always teasing me about my manners, my language, my messy notebooks...it's small wonder he always ends up being scolded that much, isn't it?  
  
He well deserves it.  
  
I'm so mad at him, yet I can't remember why...when I see him, I'm going to lock him up for good. Well, not forever, of course, for I couldn't stand much too long to be deprived of his presence, but I'd put up some special rules just to make sure he tells me everthing. _Those who enter this space shall apologi_ _s_ _e in order to get out_ , something like that. He hates it when I put runes on him like that, and I still don't know why I need him to apologise, but I think I'll do it just the same.  
  
Good heavens, I think someone put a hole in my chest; the hurt is so deep I must have been shot by something. And why on earth is one of my toes aching so bad?  
  
Someone's crying. I know this voice, but my mind doesn't want to let me remember her name. Deep eyes, long wings, a crack on her face...undoubtedly a demon, but then why is she weeping like a child when she could almost literally do anything else?  
  
Ouch, too much questions – my head hurts. The woman disappears from my thoughts, replaced by rough hands wrapped around my wrists. It feels as if we were playfully wrestling and somehow I got caught.  
  
This isn't a thought, I think. This is a memory.  
  
I call out his name, but my mouth feels as if it were full of sand, and sounds come out as a slow babbling noise. He softly smiles as if I said something beautiful about him – or as if I were something beautiful myself – and tightens his grip.  
  
He whispers back <<I got you>>, and I could swear I'm not falling anymore.  
  
~  
  
I wake up in a proper bed, the bright light of day mercilessly cutting through my eyelids; my discomfort must be somehow obvious since I hear quick footsteps followed by the sound of curtains closed.  
  
<<He's waking up.>>  
  
I carefully open my eyes again: my sight is now welcomed by a pleasant gloom; someone puts a cold something on my head, sighing in relief.  
  
<<Freed, can you hear me?>> someone slowly whispers.  
  
Another voice snaps: <<Oi, Mr. Professor, ya there?>>  
  
A third person silences their words with a rude <<Shut up, you two, or I'll kick you out!>> Then, talking to me in a slightly less harsh voice: <<Freed, are you with us?>>  
  
<<Hello?>> I mutter with the driest throat in history. I try to get up, but my limbs feel like pudding and my head is pulsing and crashing and doing things I don't even try to understand. I blink once, twice, three times, finally focusing on the pale face above me. This is the guild infirmary, then.  
  
<<You gave us a bit of a scare, Freed.>> Old Porlyusica is leaning towards me, her wrinkly hands placed on my chest. She turns her head to bark: <<He needs to drink. Hurry up!>>  
  
<<Y-yes!>> Levy answers back, writing the word _WATER_ through air and carefully collecting her spell in a cup. She helps me drink it, eyes filled with concern.  
  
I give her a thankful smile, now barely able to talk again. <<What happened?>> I manage to ask.

Levy gives me a doubtful look, and old Porlyusica suddenly draws back with a sigh. <<We don't know much, but from what we know you were on a mission with Cana and Mirajane and you were struck down by a lightning.>>

<<It sucks, dude, I know that for sure.>> Another voice suddenly pops in, and in the corner of my eye I can see Gajeel grinning in amusement. My quizzical look must be very funny, for it makes him laugh so much that I can see his Dragon Slayer fangs glow in the dim light. <<Remember when your boyfriend Sparkle hit me with his bloody bolts? It happened twice, for the record.>>  
  
<<He's not my boyfriend.>> I whine, voice pathetically breaking midway.  
  
<<Yeah, sure, whatever. Still, when I was thunderstruck in the damn cathedral I could have sworn I felt sparks even in my->>

<<Now I'm really going to kick you out if you don't cut it.>> I turn my head just in time to see Porlyusica cast one of her terrifying gazes upon a rather sheepish Gajeel. <<We still don't know the details, since Mirajane didn't say much, but it appears that you sword served as a lightning rod during a storm. Funny thing, if one stops to think that you actually are the captain of the Thunder God Tribe.>> She makes a long, thoughtful pause. <<It will take time, but thanks to your team you're going to fully recover. Now, I'll go to Makarov and tell him you're awake. You two,>> she barks, turning to Levy and Gajeel, <<take care of him, but don't cause him any discomfort, and most importantly, let him sleep.>>

~

The first time I wake up, old Porlyusica is still gone, and Levy is sleeping on a chair next to my bed; her breathing is soft and steady, and apparently someone randomly threw a blanket on her.  
  
<<You awake, bookworm?>>  
  
I yawn. <<Are you talking to me or her?>>  
  
Gajeel chuckles, not the usual wolf-like sound he makes when someone messes around with him; it's a rather warm, soft laughter the like of which I have never heard from him. Hungry eyes wander over Levy, an unreadable expression on his sharp face as he watches her sleeping.  
  
<<Little shrimp's been sitting there sick with worry since they brought ya back.>> he snorts. <<Ya must be nuts to behave like an idiot when someone cares so much 'bout ya.>>  
  
I recall my previous conversation with Levy about forgiveness, and I'd really like to tell him that he does have someone which cares about him too. He must know that she cares enough to hope that he'll become a better man, I tell myself, and I open my mouth to tell him, but then my eyelids feel so heavy I must close my eyes now, just to rest my sight for a while, and then...  
  
~  
  
When I wake up again, they're both gone.  
  
I'm not alone, though, for I distinctly hear the sound of an armour next to the closed door, red hair perfectly visible in the gloom of the sunset.  
  
<<Titania.>> I say in an hoarse voice, and she gasps as if I caught her lost in her thoughts.  
  
She pulls herself together in no time, addressing a formal smile towards me. <<I see you're slowly recovering. Are you feeling any better?>>  
  
<<I am.>> I truly am, as my body seems to hurt significantly less. <<I honestly didn't think you'd come to pay a visit.>>  
  
<<As I told you before you left, this is my family and, like it or not, you're a part of it.>>  
  
That girl...she's always so stiff, her voice firm and harsh in a way that achingly recalls mine.  
  
<<We should both relax, you and I.>> I mutter, slowly slipping back into sweet slumber. <<It is good indeed to live by the rules, but this doesn't mean we have to control our emotions all the time.>>  
  
She says something, but I'm too fast asleep to even try to understand her words.  
  
~  
  
I dream of him again, and again it is a memory that comes to haunt my sleep.  
  
We accomplished another hard task on behalf of the guild and we're finally resting for a while before we get home.  
  
<<What's bothering you this time?>> he asks from my bed, half-naked and gloriously handsome, skin steaming and a bright pink shade still lingering on his cheeks. <<Is it because Ever got it wrong again and we are stuck another time in the same room?>>  
  
<<No.>>  
  
<<Then it has to be about the fact I was the first to use the bathroom.>> he decides, scratching his hip with a big hand.  
  
I adjust my silk nightgown on my chest, drawing a rune to dry my hair in no time. <<Or maybe it is because your baths are always too hot and too long.>> I reproach him, unable to keep myself any longer.  
  
<<Ah, shut up!>> He grabs a pillow and throws it towards me, hitting me right in the face. <<Such a whiny bitch, always scolding me for no reason at all.>>  
  
<<No reason at all?!>> I snap back, collecting the pillow and throwing it back at him. <<You're officially the naughtiest insufferable disobedient prick I've ever dealt with – and trust me, I deal with many every day.>>  
  
He shifts on the mattress so I can lie down beside him in bed. His body is so warm I can feel the heat even at this range. <<Ah, Freed, I just _love_ it when you swear.>>  
  
<<Stop making fun of me, you kinky brat.>> I mutter, lying on the bed and taking enough care not to touch him at all.<<I still wonder why in hell did you make me captain of the team if you never follow my instructions.>>  
  
Gods, that startled look on his face is just too pleasant for my eyes to see.  
  
<<First,>> he begins in a sturdy voice, pointing a threatening finger at me, <<no sane person would make you captain of anything _ever_. Your disposition to give orders just came up with that all by itself, leaving the three of us just to take note of this and follow your lead. There wasn't much else to do, you know.>>  
  
<<Yeah, and this bothers you very much, Mr.God-Of-Thunder-Who-Always-Wants-To-Be-Above-Anyone-Else, doesn't it?>> I playfully murmur, trying hard not to laugh at his flushed face.  
  
<<Second,>> he continues, ignoring my successful attempt to annoy him, <<you may have missed the fact that I'm a grown-up man and I don't need a nanny to look after my every step.>>  
  
<<Then the next time you feel like you want to rest, don't come whining and whimpering at my door because you just want me to run a bath for you.>> I silence him before he even tries to interrupt me. <<Besides, you always leave my bathroom a mess. Since you are an adult, come no more.>>  
  
<<But Freed!>> he pouts, arms folding on his muscular chest. <<Nobody knows how to properly do it as you do! You won't be so cruel to deny me this pleasure, will you?>>  
  
<<Look at you. A fully grown-up man, no doubt about it.>>  
  
He snorts, rolling on his side to face me. <<Third: I honestly am relieved to hear you curse from time to time.>> His face alights with mischief. <<You know, I was beginning to wonder how do you manage to sleep with a stick up your ass all the time.>>  
  
I don't even bother to answer; instead I reach out and write some runes on his chest, too fast for him to escape. He manages to hit me with a playful spark of lightning, but I'm almost done: when I lift my head to face him, fingers still tingling because of electricity, his laughter already fills the entire room.  
  
<<You bitchy prick, I->>  
  
<<You what, Laxus?>> I tease him, kneeling on the mattress to tower over his incapacitated body. Tickling spells always work perfectly on him, and I really enjoy myself when I leave him shaken by uncontrollable laughter for a while. <<Bad boys shall be punished, you know.>>  
  
This time though he soon manages to catch me off guard, hitting me with a crackling bolt straight in the middle of my chest and sending me down on the floor with a loud thump. I immediately remove the spell from him, crawling back to bed and loudly complaining about my scorched nightgown.  
  
<<I don't give a shit about your damn night thing!>> he barks back, coughing hard and trying to put himself together.  
  
I give him a scornful look. <<This "damn night thing", as you like to call it, was a _new_ one.>> I sit beside him, inspecting my slightly bruised chest and removing some ash from my once clean hair. <<I thought I told you to stop assaulting me with electricity.>>  
  
<<You asshole, _I_ told _you_ to stop with the tickling spell, didn't I?>> he whines, rolling on his stomach and wiping away the tears from his light-blue eyes. <<Just wait 'till I get you, you bastard son of a->>  
  
<<My, my, if you don't stop calling me like that, then the next time I will be forced to increase your punishment.>> I tell him, running a fingertip along his side. <<I wonder if I should spank you, but I'm afraid you would like it too much to still consider it a punishment.>>  
  
He snorts loudly. <<Mmph. I'd surely like it better than your fucking spells.>>  
  
<<You're hurting my feelings.>> I mock him, but he doesn't laugh anymore.  
  
He lies down beside me, arms crossed beneath his head, eyes fixed on the ceiling. The air around him quivers for a second, tensing and crackling with electricity as if he were ready to hit me again; but then for whatever reason he exhales and everything dissolves in a heartbeat, the air coming quiet again.  
  
<<You're my best friend.>> he answers, and he speaks like he means it. His fingers slip through mine like it's a normal thing to do between the two of us. It really isn't, but the feeling is insanely good. <<I would never do such a thing.>>  
  
I open my mouth to answer, but then something loud happens outside and I'm sucked out of my dream against my own will.  
  
~  
  
The third awakening is the most painful one.  
  
My body is feeling considerably better, but the blurred lines of that memory are still lingering in my mind, the feeling of his hand still vivid on mine.  
  
The chair beside my bed is empty, but a gentle weight on the mattress inform me that someone is sitting very close to me.  
  
<<Mira?>> I call out, bowels entwining in my stomach at the mere thought.  
  
Someone softly laughs at me. <<Luckily for you, I'm not.>>  
  
I turn my head to see Cana sitting cross-legged at the foot of my bed, head lifted on a hand.  
  
<<Well, well, hello to you!>> she says, suddenly standing up and reaching out to the window to open up the curtains. <<The sun is rising again out there, and the old witch said you're recovering fast enough to use some runes to get better faster, or something like that.>>  
  
I nod. <<Thank you.>> She's behaving in a strange way, much more talkative than anyone else who came into my room in these days.  
  
<<Mira's out again on a mission – with Elfman this time. She sends her regards, but she never managed to find you awake.>> she explains. <<I think it's a bit early but I must admit that, as bone headed as he may be, Elfman would never be stupid enough to throw himself in a storm in the middle of the fucking night.>>  
  
I clear my throat, hoping to sound more resolute than what I actually am. <<I would like to take this chance to apologise for my->>  
  
<<Shut up. It's clear you didn't want to hurt anyone, except maybe yourself. You're lucky I was there: your trap around Mira broke when you got hit, and we brought you here by getting your body into one of my cards. This somehow managed to keep your limbs together.>> She pauses to take a deep breath. <<I'm angry, of course I am, but Mira and I just wanted to tell you that everything's okay.>>  
  
I don't know how to answer to this, so I just remain quiet, waiting for her to go on.  
  
<<She also told me to tell you that your talks will be safe with her, whatever it means.>> She laughs a bit. <<Yeah, yeah, she's fantastic, I know. But don't you dare trying something that stupid in front of her again, unless you don't want your ass to be severely beaten by a demon. This is the second time she shows mercy at you; I wouldn't gamble for a third.>>  
  
I laugh too, ribs hurting just a bit. <<I guess you're right.>>  
  
<<I am. And I really hope you understand this at least: you're lucky Evergreen isn't at the guild right now, because I'm pretty sure she would skin you from head to toes if she found out what you did.>> She smiles at me and lifts her shoulders, opening the door. <<Rest well and recover, 'cause we have a hella lot to do together, right? I will challenge you to a drinking contest in the near future, so be prepared.>>  
  
<<You know I don't drink.>> I remind her, but she's already gone slamming the door behind her back. I watch the hard wooden door, and I suddenly realise the weight of what I've done.  
  
I chased the thunder just because it reminded me of him, and it nearly killed me. How stupid can it possibly be?  
  
I'd like to scream, but in my own conditions the only thing I can do is curl on my side and burst into raging tears. I'm so mad at myself I can feel darkness silently wiggle beneath the surface. I wonder if I should do something about it, but if there's a thing I learned from this experience is that I won't ever suppress my emotions again.  
  
A delicate hand on my shoulder distracts me from my thoughts.  
  
<<Cana, please, at least let me cry alone...>> I whine, but to no avail, for the hand on my shoulder doesn't seem to move.  
  
<<As flattered as I am by your mistake, I'm afraid I'm not Cana.>>  
  
I stiffen in horror under the sheets, my heart skipping a beat. <<Master!>> I jump up sitting, desperately trying to wipe tears and snot away from my face. <<I didn't know you were here, I thought->>  
  
<<I know what you thought. Now stop looking at me as you've seen a ghost, boy. There's nothing to be ashamed of.>> Makarov simply tells me, a kind smile all over his wrinkled features. <<It's good to know you can cry too. As a parent, I was sincerely beginning to concern a bit about the stick up your bottom, you know.>>  
  
I can't help myself but burst into laugher at these words, so similar to those who his stupid nephew addressed at me so many times; this is the reason why at some point I completely lose it, ending shamelessly crying with my face pressed on his legs as if I were a baby throwing tantrums in his father's lap.  
  
<<You're feeling so angry, aren't you?>> he murmurs, his hands softly smoothing my tangled hair. <<Cry, my child, don't hold back. It's all good, it's all good.>> I'm only half listening to him, but there's an odd twist in his affectionate voice which tells me he's talking also to himself. <<Cry over your own miserable stupidity. Cry because he left us, cry if you failed to tell him what needed to be said.>>  
  
I nod, desperately crying against the rough fabric of the sheets. We remain like this for a while, the silence broken just by my messy sobbing and some kind words from him every now and then.  
  
<<You know, boy,>> he softly tells me after the worst is gone, <<the road to know what truly is important and what is not is still long for the both of us, but we must get better soon, for we can't allow ourselves to be found unprepared when he comes back.>>  
  
I lift my head, tears drying on my cheeks. <<Will he ever come back?>> I ask, still sniffling a bit.  
  
Old gentle Makarov puts a hand on my head, plainly smiling at me. <<He will, my dear, all in good time.>>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just can't say how relieved I am after having finished this story. I will repeat myself by saying that English isn't my first language, so please appreciate my efforts ahahaha
> 
> Okay, seriously: thank you for reading it to the end. Every comment will be significantly appreciated.
> 
> See ya! ❤️


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